ObjectiveTo study the clinical characteristics and influencing factors of rheumatoid arthritis （RA） in the patients with cold dampness obstruction syndrome. MethodsThe RA patients treated in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Rheumatology of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital from August 2022 to June 2024 were selected. The demographic information， clinical data， laboratory test results， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom information were collected for syndrome differentiation， on the basis of which the characteristics and influencing factors of cold dampness obstruction syndrome were analyzed. ResultsA total of 258 RA patients were selected in this study， including 88 （34.1%） patients with cold dampness obstruction syndrome， 53 （20.5%） patients with dampness and heat obstruction syndrome， 31 （12.0%） patients with wind dampness obstruction syndrome， 29 （11.2%） patients with liver-kidney deficiency syndrome， 19 （7.4%） patients with Qi-blood deficiency syndrome， 14 （5.4%） patients with phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome， 15 （5.8%） patients with stasis obstructing collateral syndrome and 9 （3.5%） patients with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome. The patients were assigned into two groups of cold dampness obstruction syndrome and other syndromes. The group of cold dampness obstruction syndrome had lower joint fever， 28-tender joint count （TJC28）， and 28-joint disease activity score （DAS28）-C-reactive protein （CRP） and higher central sensitization， cold feeling of joints， fear of wind and cold， cold limbs， and abdominal distention than the group of other syndromes （P<0.05）. The binary logistic regression analysis showed that central sensitization （OR 5.749， 95%CI 2.116-15.616， P<0.001） and DAS28-CRP （OR 0.600， 95% CI 0.418-0.862， P=0.006） were the independent factors influencing cold dampness obstruction syndrome in RA. ConclusionCold dampness obstruction syndrome is a common syndrome in RA patients. It is associated with central sensitization， cold feeling of joints， abdominal distension and may be a clinical syndrome associated with central sensitization.

Systemic lupus erythematosus （SLE）， a refractory autoimmune disease， is among the dominant diseases where traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） shows advantages in the field of rheumatology and immunology. The China-Japan Friendship Hospital hosted the "46^th Youth Salon on Dominant Diseases （Systemic Lupus Erythematosus）" organized by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， which led to a consensus on "the advantages， challenges， interdisciplinary approaches， and translational achievements of integrated TCM and Western medical approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of SLE." The diagnosis and treatment of SLE currently face several challenges， such as frequent misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis in the early stages， difficulty in achieving treatment targets， multiple side effects from pharmacotherapy， and the lack of management strategies for special populations， all of which hinder the fulfillment of the clinical needs of patients. Integrated TCM and Western medical approaches can improve clinical symptoms such as skin erythema， aversion to cold and cold limbs， fatigue， dry mouth， restlessness， and heat sensation in the palms and soles， thereby improving patients' quality of life. The approaches also help consolidate the efficacy of conventional Western medicine， slow disease progression， reduce relapse rates， address multi-organ involvement， and prevent or treat complications. Additionally， they enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity， prevent the side effects of Western medications， help reduce hormone use， and offer distinct advantages in the individualized intervention of special populations， contributing to the whole-process management of the disease. However， evidence-based medical support for this integrated approach remains limited， and the quality of available evidence is generally low. Common evaluation systems and modern research methodologies should be adopted to clarify the efficacy of TCM in SLE treatment. Efforts should be made to carry out high-quality evidence-based medical research， strengthen the development of fundamental and pharmacological research， and further explain the distinct advantages of TCM in the diagnosis and treatment of SLE. Future efforts should focus on advancing the integration of TCM and modern medicine， incorporating multi-omics technologies， individualized stratification， and other precision medicine concepts， in combination with artificial intelligence. Moreover， interdisciplinary collaboration should be promoted to utilize modern technology in exploring the essence of TCM theories and screening effective formulae， thereby comprehensively improving the diagnosis and treatment of SLE through integrated TCM and Western medical approaches.

Systemic lupus erythematosus （SLE）， a refractory autoimmune disease， is among the dominant diseases where traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） shows advantages in the field of rheumatology and immunology. The China-Japan Friendship Hospital hosted the "46^th Youth Salon on Dominant Diseases （Systemic Lupus Erythematosus）" organized by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， which led to a consensus on "the advantages， challenges， interdisciplinary approaches， and translational achievements of integrated TCM and Western medical approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of SLE." The diagnosis and treatment of SLE currently face several challenges， such as frequent misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis in the early stages， difficulty in achieving treatment targets， multiple side effects from pharmacotherapy， and the lack of management strategies for special populations， all of which hinder the fulfillment of the clinical needs of patients. Integrated TCM and Western medical approaches can improve clinical symptoms such as skin erythema， aversion to cold and cold limbs， fatigue， dry mouth， restlessness， and heat sensation in the palms and soles， thereby improving patients' quality of life. The approaches also help consolidate the efficacy of conventional Western medicine， slow disease progression， reduce relapse rates， address multi-organ involvement， and prevent or treat complications. Additionally， they enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity， prevent the side effects of Western medications， help reduce hormone use， and offer distinct advantages in the individualized intervention of special populations， contributing to the whole-process management of the disease. However， evidence-based medical support for this integrated approach remains limited， and the quality of available evidence is generally low. Common evaluation systems and modern research methodologies should be adopted to clarify the efficacy of TCM in SLE treatment. Efforts should be made to carry out high-quality evidence-based medical research， strengthen the development of fundamental and pharmacological research， and further explain the distinct advantages of TCM in the diagnosis and treatment of SLE. Future efforts should focus on advancing the integration of TCM and modern medicine， incorporating multi-omics technologies， individualized stratification， and other precision medicine concepts， in combination with artificial intelligence. Moreover， interdisciplinary collaboration should be promoted to utilize modern technology in exploring the essence of TCM theories and screening effective formulae， thereby comprehensively improving the diagnosis and treatment of SLE through integrated TCM and Western medical approaches.

Rheumatoid arthritis （RA） is an autoimmune disease characterized primarily by erosive arthritis， with a high prevalence and disability rate. Although significant progress has been made in the treatment of RA in recent years， challenges such as suboptimal efficacy， drug resistance， severe side effects， and high costs of long-term treatment remain， especially for patients in the early stages of RA， as well as those with RA complications， comorbidities， and severe conditions. Hosted by the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and organized by the Youth Committee of the China Association of Chinese Medicine， the 27^th session of the Clinical Dominant Disease Series （Rheumatoid Arthritis） Youth Salon invited nearly 20 experts and scholars from traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields to actively discuss the clinical needs of modern medicine and the advantageous stages and aspects of TCM in RA. Experts at the salon agreed that TCM has unique advantages in the treatment of RA， especially during the early stage， periods of low to moderate disease activity， remission phase， and in addressing complications and comorbidities. TCM can achieve both prevention and treatment by regulating the immune system and restoring immune homeostasis. The integrated approach of traditional Chinese and western medicine demonstrates significant advantages in active RA， refractory cases， and stages with severe complications， by rapidly controlling disease progression， alleviating symptoms， enhancing the quality of life， and facilitating recovery. Given the frequent occurrence of multiple comorbidities in RA， TCM shows potential in regulating immunity， alleviating symptoms， and improving physical constitution， which provides new insights into the comprehensive treatment of RA with comorbidities. However， high-quality clinical studies on integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine in RA are still lacking. It is necessary to establish large-scale clinical cohorts and biological databases to provide a scientific basis for the development of precision-targeted therapies and clinical treatment protocols. In the future， individualized treatment strategies integrating traditional Chinese and western medicine are expected to become an important direction for improving the quality of life in RA patients.

Rheumatoid arthritis （RA） is an autoimmune disease characterized primarily by erosive arthritis， with a high prevalence and disability rate. Although significant progress has been made in the treatment of RA in recent years， challenges such as suboptimal efficacy， drug resistance， severe side effects， and high costs of long-term treatment remain， especially for patients in the early stages of RA， as well as those with RA complications， comorbidities， and severe conditions. Hosted by the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and organized by the Youth Committee of the China Association of Chinese Medicine， the 27^th session of the Clinical Dominant Disease Series （Rheumatoid Arthritis） Youth Salon invited nearly 20 experts and scholars from traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields to actively discuss the clinical needs of modern medicine and the advantageous stages and aspects of TCM in RA. Experts at the salon agreed that TCM has unique advantages in the treatment of RA， especially during the early stage， periods of low to moderate disease activity， remission phase， and in addressing complications and comorbidities. TCM can achieve both prevention and treatment by regulating the immune system and restoring immune homeostasis. The integrated approach of traditional Chinese and western medicine demonstrates significant advantages in active RA， refractory cases， and stages with severe complications， by rapidly controlling disease progression， alleviating symptoms， enhancing the quality of life， and facilitating recovery. Given the frequent occurrence of multiple comorbidities in RA， TCM shows potential in regulating immunity， alleviating symptoms， and improving physical constitution， which provides new insights into the comprehensive treatment of RA with comorbidities. However， high-quality clinical studies on integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine in RA are still lacking. It is necessary to establish large-scale clinical cohorts and biological databases to provide a scientific basis for the development of precision-targeted therapies and clinical treatment protocols. In the future， individualized treatment strategies integrating traditional Chinese and western medicine are expected to become an important direction for improving the quality of life in RA patients.

BACKGROUND:The gluteus medius not only abducts the hip joint,but also plays an important role in limiting the external movement of the femoral head.At present,there is a lack of research on the correlation between gluteus medius status and non-traumatic femoral head necrosis. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the relationship between the gluteus medius width ratio and the medial space ratio of the hip joint and the progression of non-traumatic femoral head necrosis,and to explore the effect of gluteus medius atrophy on the surface and necrotic zone stress of the femoral head necrosis through finite element analysis. METHODS:Retrospective analysis of unilateral non-traumatic femoral head necrosis patients admitted to Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine was performed.All patients were followed up for an average of more than 2 years.They were divided into a collapsed group and a non-collapsed group based on whether there was collapse of the femoral head during the follow-up.Medial space ratio,gluteus medius width ratio,Sharp angle,gluteus medius length ratio,and gluteus medius activation angle were measured and calculated.The differences in these indicators were compared between the two groups.At the first visit and follow-up at 3,6,12,and 24 months,the medial space ratio and gluteus medius width ratio were measured and calculated to explore the changes of these two indicators in the course of non-traumatic femoral head necrosis.In addition,using three-dimensional finite element analysis,a Japanese Investigation Committee classification C1 type femoral head necrosis model was constructed based on CT data.At the same time,based on MRI data,a model of the gluteus medius muscle was constructed and divided into a gluteus medius muscle atrophy group(gluteus medius width ratio:74%-76%)and a gluteus medius muscle normal group(gluteus medius width ratio:94%-96%).Each group constructed 10 models,with 6 degrees of freedom of the distal femur constrained to zero.600 N pressures were applied along the Z-axis to the upper surface of the sacrum.The stress distribution,maximum stress values on the surface and necrotic area of the femoral head,and the maximum displacement of the necrotic area were compared between two groups of models. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 153 patients(67 males and 86 females)with 153 hips were included in this study.(2)At the 24-hour follow-up,the medial space ratio of the collapsed group was significantly higher than that of the non-collapsed group(P<0.05).The gluteus medius width ratio of the collapsed group was significantly lower than that of the non-collapsed group(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in Sharp angle,gluteus medius activation angle,and gluteus medius length ratio between the two groups(P>0.05).(3)Since the follow-up time exceeded 3 months,the gluteus medius width ratio of the collapsed group was lower than that of the non-collapsed group(P<0.05).Since the follow-up time exceeded 12 months,the medial space ratio of the collapsed group was higher than that of the non-collapsed group(P<0.05).(4)Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between follow-up time and medial space ratio in the collapsed group(P<0.05),and a significant negative correlation between follow-up time and gluteus medius width ratio(P<0.05).The regression coefficient of gluteus medius width ratio was larger than that of medial space ratio.(5)The group with middle gluteal muscle atrophy showed significant stress concentration on the surface of the femoral head,and the stress zone was significantly located on the outside.The maximum stress on the surface of the femoral head in the group with middle gluteal muscle atrophy was significantly greater than that in the group with normal middle gluteal muscle(P<0.05).There was significant stress concentration in the necrotic area of the middle gluteal muscle atrophy group,and the maximum stress was located at the edge of the necrotic area.The maximum stress and maximum displacement in the necrotic area of the middle gluteal muscle atrophy group were significantly greater than those of the normal group(P<0.05).(6)It is indicated that gluteus medius width ratio is an effective indicator for evaluating changes in gluteal muscle atrophy.In the progression of non-traumatic femoral head necrosis,atrophy of the gluteus medius muscle first occurs,followed by widening of the medial hip joint space.The mechanical mechanism may be that the atrophy of the gluteus medius muscle affects the stability of the hip joint,leading to external displacement of the femoral head,and increasing stress and displacement on the surface and necrotic area of the femoral head.

Objective To investigate the effect of salidroside(SAL)on the proliferation and migration of human vascular endothelial cell line EA.hy926.Methods The cells were divided into control group and test groups of 1,10 and 100 nmol/L SAL,10 nmol/L SAL+2 μg/mL avastin(vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)blocker)group,10 nmol/L SAL+2 μg/mL IgG(blocker negative control)group,10 nmol/L SAL+8 μg/mL avastin group,10 nmol/L SAL+8 μg/mL IgG group,10 μmol/L YC-1[hypoxia inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)blocker]group and 10 μmol/L YC-1+10 nmol/L SAL group.The proliferation and migration of EA.hy926 cells were detected by MTS assay and Transwell cell migration experiments.RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to measure the gene and protein level of HIF-1α and VEGF.The luciferase report gene experiment was used to find the effect of SAL on HIF-1α transcription activity of EA.hy926 cells.The guanylate cyclase activator(YC-1)was used as a HIF-1α blocker to verify potential effect of SAL on the expression of VEGF through HIF-1α.Results SAL significantly promoted proliferation of EA.hy926 cells(P＜0.05)and the proliferation promoting effect of SAL(10 nmol/L)was significantly reduced by the VEGF blocker bevacizumab avastin(2 μg/mL)(P＜0.05).SAL significantly promoted migration of EA.hy926 cells(P＜0.05),and this effect was significantly inhibited by avastin(8 μg/mL)(P＜0.05).SAL increased the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF gene and protein,and promoted the transcription of HIF-1α(P＜0.05).The level of HIF-1α and VEGF protein decreased by YC-1,a HIF-1α bloc-ker(P＜0.05).Conclusions HIF-1α/VEGF pathway is potentially involved in SAL promoted proliferation and migration of EA.hy926 cells.

Sjögren's syndrome （SS）， a disorder of immune system， is one of the dominant diseases treated by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. China Association of Chinese Medicine organized experts in the field of TCM and western medicine rheumatology and pharmacology to discuss the advantages and optimal regimens of TCM for the treatment of SS. The experts generally agreed on the low early diagnosis rate of SS and the lack of targeted therapeutic drugs. In addition， autoimmune abnormality is the key factor in the occurrence of SS and deficiency of both Qi and Yin is the core pathogenesis. SS has unique tongue manifestations， which is expected to allow for the early diagnosis and treatment with integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine. TCM has advantages in treating SS in terms of alleviating clinical symptoms and systemic involvement， individualized treatment， relieving sleep and mood disorders， preventing the occurrence in the early stage， and enhancing the effectiveness and reducing toxicity in the treatment by integrated TCM and western medicine. In general， TCM has advantages in different stages of SS. Internal and external use of TCM， acupuncture， and acupotome are all available options. The optimal regimens should be determined on the basis of pattern identification， stage of disease， and the advantages of TCM. Clinical characteristics and biomarkers of SS should be studied to classify patients， so as to design precision evidence-based TCM regimens for SS. On the basis of unique tongue manifestations of SS， models for early diagnosis and poor prognosis identification of SS should also be established to achieve early prevention and treatment and to improve the prognosis. In the future， we should vigorously carry out high-quality evidence-based medical research on the treatment of SS by TCM and integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine and develop relevant guidelines to optimize and standardize current diagnosis and treatment， thereby laying a basis for clarifying and explaining the advantages of TCM in treating SS.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of the serum levels of Clusterin and sphingosine 1-phosphate （S1P） in assessing the prognosis of sepsis patients with acute liver injury. MethodsA total of 127 sepsis patients with acute liver injury who were admitted to Lianyungang Hospital， Xuzhou Medical University， from March 2019 to May 2022 were enrolled， and according to their prognosis after 28 days of treatment， they were divided into death group with 35 patients and survival group with 92 patients. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. A pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation. The prognostic value of serum Clusterin and S1P was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve. ResultsThere were significant differences between the two groups in the degree of liver injury， Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ （APACHEⅡ） score， Sequential Organ Failure Assessment （SOFA） score， the presence or absence of acute kidney injury， prothrombin time （PT）， international normalized ratio （INR）， Child-Pugh class， and C-reactive protein （all P<0.05）. The death group had significantly lower serum levels of Clusterin and S1P than the survival group （t=11.094 and 10.390， both P<0.05）. The patients with severe liver injury had significantly lower serum levels of Clusterin and S1P than those with mild or moderate liver injury （t=9.825 and 11.418， both P<0.05）. The multivariate regression analysis showed that the degree of liver injury （odds ratio ［OR］=1.260， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.081 — 1.468， P<0.05）， APACHEII score （OR=1.031， 95%CI： 1.019 — 1.044， P<0.05）， SOFA score （OR=1.066， 95%CI： 1.039 — 1.094， P<0.05）， Clusterin （OR=0.899， 95%CI： 0.859 — 0.940， P<0.05）， and S1P （OR=0.824， 95%CI： 0.749 — 0.908， P<0.05） were independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with sepsis. The ROC curve analysis showed that serum Clusterin and S1P used alone or in combination had an area under the ROC curve of 0.864， 0.861， and 0.949， respectively. Serum Clusterin and S1P were significantly negatively correlated with alanine aminotransferase， total bilirubin， PT， and INR in sepsis patients with acute liver injury （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThe sepsis patients with acute liver injury who died had significant reductions in serum Clusterin and S1P compared with those who survived， and the levels of Clusterin and S1P are closely associated with the degree of liver injury. The combination of Clusterin and S1P has a good value in predicting the prognosis of sepsis patients with acute liver injury and is expected to become a potential marker for predicting the prognosis of sepsis patients with acute liver injury.

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of sirolimus through the change in platelet counts during the sirolimus therapy on Kasaback-Merritt phenomenon(KMP).Methods:Four patients were treated in Nanjing Children Hospital between Jaunary 2017 and June 2019 were enrolled in the study, including two males and two females. Their age was ranged from two days to three months. They all presented with huge mass located in neck or retroperitoneal and thrombocytopenia, hypofibrinogenemia. Their coagulation could not be improved by surgery or palate transfusion or steroids. They were all diagnosed as Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma(KHE) with KMP according to the biopsy, coagulation index and CT. Sirolimus were administered with 0.1 mg -1·kg -1·d -1 or 0.8 mg/m 2, twice daily. Subsequent dose was adjusted to maintain the trough level between 10-15 ng/ml.Steroids were weaned gradually. Blood accounts were measured following the sirolimus administration. Results:All the four patients got improvement in platelet counts. Three patients went through a significant decreasing of palate counts after adding sirolimus for about 1-4 days. Two lesions prompted improvement with smaller size, lighter color and softer texture without complete regression. Two patients had elevated liver enzymes and/or interstitial pneumonia. One recovered while the other died of severe pneumonia with dyspnea. All the palate counts of survived patients remained in normal level in the following one year.Conclusions:Sirolimus is an effective method in treating KMP and stabilizing platelet counts. However, it can not cure hemangioendothelioma.